The female vagina is naturally colonized by a variety of bacteria, yeast, and microorganisms. For example, a normal vagina generally contains more than about 104 lactobacilli per milliliter of vaginal material. Under normal conditions, the vagina flora provides a mildly acidic environment that helps guard against the invasion of pathogenic microbes (e.g., Gardnerella vaginalis, Candida albicans, etc.). Unfortunately, this vaginal balance may be easily upset by a variety of external factors that ultimately lead to vaginal infection. One such external factor may be the climate. For example, in tropical climates, the consistently warm conditions can lead to a high degree of sweating near the vaginal region. An increase in moisture content due to sweating may stimulate the growth of pathogenic microorganisms, which may potentially lead to infection. This problem may be particularly acute during a female's menstrual cycle when pads or other feminine care articles are used. More particularly, in addition to absorbing menstrual fluids, the feminine care articles may also retain moisture secreted by the user due to sweating. The presence of this additional moisture could eventually offset the activity of any antimicrobial agents employed in the feminine care article. This fear may lead to a lack in confidence by users that the antimicrobial agents will function in the desired manner.
As such, a need currently exists for a feminine care absorbent article that is well suited for warm climates, and that can help inhibit the growth of pathogenic microorganisms and also provide a signal to the user that such an antimicrobial system is beginning to lose or has lost its efficacy.